<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>please be fine by soulpunkk</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29729610">please be fine</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/soulpunkk/pseuds/soulpunkk'>soulpunkk</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Strings of Fate (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff and Angst, Hair Braiding, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, pretty light on the hurt/angst part tho i am a fluff machine first and a human second, the inherent homoeroticism of tending to your lovers wounds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:00:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,950</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29729610</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/soulpunkk/pseuds/soulpunkk</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>vincent breaks the silence of a tense cart ride. renaer indulges him.<br/>the two of them keep their worries closer to their chests than perhaps they should.</p><p>(a quick venaer moment squeezed into the cart ride of episode 2!!)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Renaer Neverember/Vincent Obra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>please be fine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>yes i wrote this instead of prepping the final battle for my curse of strahd party. dont tell them. anyways go listen to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb6yvHiNeG8qE2z68flzaLg">the strings of fate podcast</a> it just started up and is an ABsolute joy to listen to !! titles from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAW3xEnDTqk">here</a>! anyways please enjoy!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Vincent was doing his best to steady himself. He had no idea why they had stopped to fight that <em> creature, </em> whatever the hell it’d been. Azzurum didn’t look like he was about to start explaining anytime soon, sitting at the back of their wagon, idly clutching at his necklace. Probably best to leave that alone. Lidara and Bonnie were sitting at the front of the wagon together, having just fallen out of a pleasant conversation conducted in low voices and small smiles. Renaer was at Vincent’s side, shifting around the bandages Vincent had applied a few hours ago. Vincent chanced a glance at his travel companions – he didn’t want to disrupt this silence they’d wordlessly agreed to uphold, but at the same time? Vincent wanted to check on his boyfriend.</p><p>(<em>Boyfriend, </em> Vincent mused to himself, even if he felt a bit silly as he did. No matter how many times he turned the word over in his mind, he couldn’t get used to the feeling it stirred in his chest, the nervous excitement that tightened his lungs. Even after all this time, it still felt… <em> unreal.</em>)</p><p>“Renaer,” Vincent said, his voice barely above a whisper. Renaer turned to look at him, eyes wide and attentive, eyebrows raised in tentative concern. Vincent’s fingers flexed with the sudden urge to caress his cheek. “Would you mind if I changed your bandages?”</p><p>“Please,” came Renaer’s soft reply, polite as ever. Vincent nodded, pulling Renaer away from Azzurum and setting to work. His wounds were mostly healed, thanks to the time they’d spent resting and Vincent’s own spellwork. Still, his clothes were torn and stained with blood, his hair was frazzled and falling out of where it’d been tied back, and Vincent could see large swaths of Renaer’s skin beginning to discolor with bruises. Vincent pulled away the old bandages and slowly worked to replace them with new ones, working on Renaer’s forearms first before tending to the cut across his collarbone. </p><p>“Your shirt’s dirty,” Vincent remarked idly, pressing his fingers into Renaer’s skin as he adhered the new bandage. He looked up to see Renaer already looking at him, their faces closer together than Vincent had expected them to be. Renaer was smiling.</p><p>“Forgive me for not finding the time to change,” he said with a fond little smirk, tossing a quick glance towards the rest of their party members. Vincent flushed.</p><p>“No, no, of course, I wasn’t expecting you to–” he began to stutter before he caught the familiar look on Renaer’s face – barely suppressed laughter. Vincent exhaled, dropping his head forward and letting his forehead rest against Renaer’s for a moment. “That’s not what I meant,” he exhaled, picking his head up and frowning at Renaer’s generally disheveled state. “Here, let me…” he started before murmuring spell components and delicately moving his hands over Renaer, slowly prestidigitating him clean. He started with his clothes, fussing over the slashes and tears he couldn’t mend, before moving to the flecks of dried blood still on his neck, making Renaer tilt his head back so he could ensure everything was properly clean, and finally working through the mess of Renaer’s hair, soiled with blood and still untamed from the mess it’d become when that creature had taken him in his tendrils and swung him about like a rag doll.  Vincent didn’t mean to wince as he worked, but. Renaer’s ruined hair served as a sort of physical reminder of how badly Renaer had been hurt. Vincent could cure Renaer’s wounds with magic, erase the expected evidence of the damage he’d taken on their behalf. But he couldn’t erase the danger Renaer was putting himself in for Vincent’s sake, couldn’t keep him safe from the monstrosities that plagued the life of every adventurer. Renaer had come with them for Vincent’s sake. And, despite Vincent’s best efforts, it was beginning to dawn on him that he couldn’t guarantee Renaer’s safety. Renaer’s ruined hair was a reminder that he was putting a lot at stake being here with Vincent, and even Vincent’s best protections could only help after the fact. If Renaer ever got himself into a spot of trouble that Vincent couldn’t help with, or if Vincent’s help wasn’t enough… Vincent would have to live knowing that the danger Renaer fell to was one he’d led Renaer to himself.</p><p>Renaer was studying Vincent as he worried, looking as if he were on the verge of asking Vincent what was wrong. And he couldn’t have <em> that, </em> so he blurted out the first thing he could think of to avoid the discussion. “Can I fix your hair?” he asked, much too quickly to sound casual, and a tad louder than he probably should have in the otherwise silent cart. Renaer blinked at him.</p><p>“What?” he asked, but Vincent was already rushing out an explanation.</p><p>“It’s just, tying your hair back like you have it probably isn’t the best way to secure it because it’s much more likely to tangle or come undone this way and then you’d have hair in your face as you’re fighting and <em> that </em> wouldn’t be good, a–and right now it’s still mussed from when we fought that <em> thing </em> so it’d probably be best if we saw to it that it was properly put up before arriving at Hannigan's Bluff so that it doesn’t get in your way then and I’m actually moderately proficient at–”</p><p>“<em>Vincent,</em>” Renaer exhaled, placing a hand on Vincent’s shoulder that ground him to a halt. He looked right at Vincent, his eyes blue and clear. “It’s okay. <em> I’m </em> okay.” Vincent bit his lip. Renaer spoke those words like they were a reminder, though if they were a reminder to Vincent or to Renaer himself, Vincent couldn’t be sure. There was something else swimming in Renaer’s expression, a crease between his brows that almost seemed akin to guilt. Or perhaps doubt. Vincent couldn’t be sure. He dropped his eyes from Renaer’s face.</p><p>“Will you let me braid your hair?” Vincent asked, although it came out steadier than a question, his voice low and level. More like a plea.</p><p>Renaer cocked his head, that simple, quizzical little smile of his spreading over his face. “You know how to braid?”</p><p>“Of course,” Vincent replied, looking back to Renaer like that should’ve been obvious, almost insulted that Renaer thought he couldn’t. Renaer looked impressed.</p><p>“If you think it will help,” he conceded, with a touch more earnesty than Vincent was ready to unpack at the present moment.</p><p>“Thank you,” he exhaled, maneuvering the two of them in the small space of the cart so Renaer was sitting in front of Vincent, warm and steady as Vincent placed his legs on either side of him. Forcing himself to breathe, to keep calm because Renaer was fine, he was <em> right here, solid and real, </em> Vincent began to run his fingers through Renaer’s fine hair, taking out his ponytail and gently pulling out the tangles, the mess. He couldn’t always keep Renaer safe from the perils of adventuring, but he <em> could </em> do everything in his power to make him feel safe and secure in the moments between the peril.</p><p>Vincent worked slowly, sure to get all of the tangles out as gently as he could manage before beginning to section off his hair. He felt Renaer push back into his touch as his fingertips grazed Renaer’s scalp. Vincent tried to hold back a smile. </p><p>The braid was simple enough to do. The movements were familiar to Vincent and Renaer’s hair was wonderfully easy to style, threading smoothly through Vincent’s fingers as he worked his way down Renaer’s head. He reached the nape of Renaer’s neck, watching Renaer shiver as his fingers ghosted over Renaer’s skin before neatly finishing the braid and tying off his hair. “There,” Vincent said, pulling back to admire the frankly exemplary job he’d done.</p><p>Renaer twisted to face Vincent, looking like he’d almost dozed off in Vincent’s lap. “How does it look?” he asked, searching Vincent’s face for an answer that he was sure to find. Vincent was too busy taking in Renaer to hide his marveling expression, his eyes wide and cheeks warm as he looked over his partner. The braid suited Renaer. His hair was perfect for it, keeping the shape of the braid snuggly and not losing its form as Renaer moved. It was just long enough to bring over Renaer’s shoulder – Vincent didn’t think to stop himself before grabbing the braid and pulling it forward, letting his fingers trail down his handiwork before letting the braid fall against Renaer’s chest. A few stray pieces fell into Renaer’s face, not enough to be a detriment in combat, just enough to frame the angle of his jaw, his cheekbones. “Vincent?”</p><p>“<em>Looks great,</em>” Vincent blurted, blinking hard as he caught himself. “Suits you.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Renaer said, idly picking up his braid and running his fingers over it. “I’ll, um. I’ll have to ask you to do this again, I’m afraid I won’t be able to. Replicate it myself.”</p><p>Vincent nodded. “I can do that.” Renaer smiled at him, holding his eyes for a moment before shifting, turning himself around so he was facing Vincent fully.</p><p>“You are,” Renaer breathed, quietly enough that Vincent almost wasn’t sure he’d spoken, “so considerate to think of me like this. To do this for me.” Something warm sparked in his eyes, something that made Vincent’s stomach flip over itself as a soft smile made the edges of Renaer’s eyes crinkle. “Thank you, Vincent.” He took Vincent’s hand in his own, picking it up and slowly bringing it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to Vincent’s knuckles. Vincent watched Renaer’s eyes close for a long moment as he kissed his skin, and then watched them flicker open and find his own. Renaer held his gaze briefly, looking up at Vincent through his eyelashes with a tender intimacy that Vincent didn’t know what to do with before lowering Vincent’s hand from his lips and intertwining their fingers.</p><p>Vincent didn’t know how to respond to that, not now, not in words, not with Azzurum and Lidara brooding not ten feet away, not when Renaer was looking at him like <em> that. </em> But Vincent didn’t need to – Renaer knew him well enough to just smile at him and shift back to his side, arranging himself so he could rest his head on Vincent’s shoulder, their hands still intertwined. Something swelled in Vincent’s chest, something big and profound and unnamable that made him want to both run for his life and never take another step if that step led away from right here. Vincent’s thumb twisted one of the rings on his free hand, an old nervous habit he’d never kicked, feeling the warm metal slide against his skin as he tried to collect himself. Renaer seemed deep in thought at his shoulder, that same mildly troubled line etched between his brows that some wild impulse of Vincent’s wanted to smooth out with his thumb. Azzurum hadn’t moved from where he sat, worrying the stone of his necklace as he looked out towards the setting sun – had Vincent not known any better, he would’ve thought he was praying. Lidara was completely silent at the front of the cart, her happy conversation with Bonnie long passed into something stiffer, something far less comfortable. Vincent took a deep breath, feeling the air expand his lungs and letting it cut through the tight feeling in his chest. He squeezed Renaer’s hand, a final reminder that he was here, that they were safe. That things would only ever be as happy as he allowed them to be.</p><p>“Anybody want to hear a song?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hope yall enjoyed !!! wishing the strings of fate a very i love them, go listen to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb6yvHiNeG8qE2z68flzaLg">the podcast</a> for that top tier gay shit!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>